Fabric printing machine employing a washer-receptacle

ABSTRACT

In a machine for printing lengths of fabric employing a washerreceptacle in association with a color box the washer-receptacle is mounted in such a way that it is movable toward and away from a backing cylinder as part of a print roll assembly which includes the color box, and is capable of swinging movement around one end toward and away from the color box and the body of the machine, and is movable up and down, toward and away from the color box.

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS .lames Reid Johnson Stonington, Conn. [2l] Appl. No. 829,049

United States Patent [72] Inventor PMENTEU um 1 2 |911 SHEET 1 UF 2 y mwamorz. Jamas Rea( Jah/wwf PATENlEDncI 12ml SHEET 2 UF 2 :el j INVENTOR.

James ReZ .almsz FABRIC PRINTING MACHINE EMPLOYING A WASHER- RECEPTACLE This invention relates to a machine for printing a length of fabric. Specifically it relates to mounting a washer-receptacle of the kind shown in copending application Ser. No.` 829,055, filed May 29, 1969 for vertical and for swinging movements relative to a color box with which it is associated.

An object of the invention is to provide mounting means such that a washer-receptacle mounted in a fabric printing machine may be swung out at a right angle to give access to the body of the machine and, when in operative position, may be` moved up and down toward and away from a color box with which it coacts for washing elements of the machine and draining wash water.

FlG. l is a front elevation of printing apparatus of the kind described including a washer-receptacle. FIG. 2 is an isometric view of hinge means interconnected between the washerreceptacle and support means,

FIG. 3 is a detail view showing the lower right hand portion of the structure shown in FIG. I with the washer-receptacle swung out, and

`FIG. 4 is a cross section taken on the lines 4-4 of FIG. 3. In the embodiment of the invention described herein a backing cylinder l is mounted for rotation between support members not shown, and extending partly around the backing cylinder is a length of fabric l2 to be printed as it passes between a print roll and the backing cylinder. A pair of support arms indicated generally as 14a and l4b are disposed beyond the ends of the backing cylinder and project outwardly, radially, or substantially radially, with respect to the backing cylinder. The support arms 14a and 14b are disposed in parallel, in the same plane, and it will be understood that in machines of the kind described for printing lengths of fabric there will ordinarily be a number of pairs of arms projecting radially with respect to the backing cylinder at different rotary angles, the number of pairs of arms corresponding to the number of print rolls ernployed.

'As is more fully set forth in copending application Ser. No. 829,056, filed May 29, 1969 each of the support arms 14a and l4b defines a longitudinally extending slot 16 and portions not shown, serving to support a bar 22. There isthus a support bar 22 extending in parallel relation with each of the support arms 14a andl4b and as shown the support bars 22 are spaced inwardly -from the support arms 14a and 14b. Bars 22 provide means on which members 23a and 23b carrying an entire print roll assembly, are mounted for reciprocal movement toward and away from the backing cylinder. The members 23a and 23h define sleeves having the depending portions 24a and 24 b which are apertured to receive and slide on bars 22 respectively. Spaced inwardly from the sleeve portions of members 23a and 23h are the support plates 28a and 28b and fixed to the inner faces of members 28a and 28b are the lower halves of the housings 27a and 27h which receive the bearings 26a and 26b. The upper halves of the bearing housings are hinged to the lower halves and may be easily opened to permit the bearings to be placed in the cup shaped lower halves or lifted from them.

The members 23a and 23b support, and carry with them during movements toward and away from the backing cylinder on bars 22, an assembly comprising a print roll 30 and the mandrel 32 on which it is mounted, a color box 34 and a color transfer medium, shown herein as a brush 36 mounted for rotation on journals which extend through the ends of the color box, and a washer-receptacle 38 which is at all times disposed below the color box.

Print roll 30 is shown mounted on a mandrel 32 the ends of which are supported by bearings 26a and 26h. The print roll could of course be provided with journals extending outwardly from its ends but use of a mandrel is preferred since hollow center print rolls of different outside diameters may be successively mounted on a keyed mandrel. Support plates 28a and 28b extend outwardly away from the backing cylinder and are inclined downwardly with respect to the support arms 14a and l4b and the bars 22. The washer-receptacle 38 is supported from the support plate 28b and by the piston rods 61a and 6lb of the power cylinders 60a and 60b. ln FIG. 3 a doctor blade 3l is shown in association with the print roll 30.

On the outer face of support plate 28a one-half 20 of a Gilman slide is supported. The other half 18 of the Gilman slide is bolted to the inner end of the the sleeve portion of member 23a. The two halves of the Gilman slide are interconnected by the dovetail 19. A piston rod 43 from power cylinder 42 is screwed into the end of shaft 40 which extends through the sleeve portion of members 23a and into Gilman slide half I8. When the piston rod 43 is actuated by power cylinder 42 the Gilman slide, the support plate 28a, the bearing housings 27a and 27h the bearing 26a the bearing 26b a mandrel 32 and print roll 30 supported between them, the support plate 28b, the driven shaft 44, and its retracting power means 45 can all be adjusted in position axially of the print roll. The inner end of the shaft 44 and he opposed mandrel end are engageable and disengageable preferably by the spring and quick release mechanism shown and described in copending application Ser. No, 829,056, filed May 29, 1969.

Movements of the print roll and its assembly toward and away from backing cylinder l0 are provided and controlled respectively by fluid cylinders 48h which may be mounted, by means not shown, to the support arm 14b. `The piston rods 50a and 50h of said cylinders are connected to the bearing housing 26a and 26b respectively. It will be understood that when the said power cylinders are actuated the whole print roll assembly including color box and brush and washer-receptacle will be moved together along the support bars 22.

The color box and brush subassembly is not only movable with the print roll, toward and away from the backing cylinder, but is movable a short distance toward and away from the print roll, being suspended between power cylinders 54a and 54b which in turn are supported on the plates 28a and 28b. Power cylinders 54a and 54h are connected to the color box subassembly by straps 56a and 56b pivotally connected to brackets 57a and 57h. Strap 56a is connected to a bracket 57a at one end of the color box, and strap 56h is connected to a bracket 57b at the outer end of the clutch S8 by which drive means (not shown) and the color transfer brush may be connected and disconnected. The cylinders 54a and 54b have the piston rods 55a and 55b the outer ends of which are fixed to brackets f projecting laterally from each of the arms 28a and 28b so that it is the cylinders 54a and 54b which move while their piston rods 55a and 55b remain stationary.

The washer-receptacle 38 is movable up and down from an initial position spaced below the color box but in position to receive and drain liquid spilled from the color box, to a position in which it cooperates with the fully overturned color box to provide a closure in which a second step of washing the color boxV and brush is performed as is fully described in copending application Ser. No. 829,056, filed May 29, |969.

The washer-receptacle is raised and lowered on guide rod 64 by power cylinders 60a and 60h. The right-hand end of the washer-receptacle as viewed by the reader is supported by hinge means 62a, 62b which allows it to be swung outwardly at a right angle to its operative position. The left-hand end of the washer-receptacle is unsupported except by the power cylinder 60a and its piston rod 61a but a rest 92 is provided on which the left end of the washer-receptacle sits when in operative position. The rest 92 is shown extending from a bracket depending from support plate 28a. Bracket 90 also supports a yoke 83a which engates the power cylinder 60a.

A pair of brackets 84a and 84h depend from the washerreceptacle and each define an eye and the heads 86a and 86h at the outer ends of piston rods 61a and 6Ib each define an eye disposed for horizontal alignment with the eye of the adjacent bracket. Self-locking pins 88a and 88h are inserted through each head and bracket combination to attach the pistons to the washer-receptacle. When the interlocking pin 88a is withdrawn from head 86a and bracket 84a the washerreceptacle 38 can be swung outwardly from a position parallel to the print roll to a position substantially at right angles to the print roll, by hinge means indicated generally as 62a and 62b.

One-half 62a of the hinge means is attached to the support member 28h and other half 62h is attached between the first half and washer-receptacle 38 and it will be noted that half 62h comprises a vertically extending rod 64 and that there is a member 87 slideable along rod 64 and interconnecting rod 64 and the adjacent end of the washer-receptacle through bracket 84b. The rod 64 thus acts as a guide rod the washerreceptacle as it is moved up and down by the power means 60a and 60h.

As shown in FIG. 2 the half 62a of the hinge comprises an arm 70, depending from support arm 28h and the two inwardly extending bracket members 72 and 74 between which pin 76 is mounted. The hinge portion 62h comprises the two horizontal bracket arms 78 and 80 which at one end are mounted for rotation on pin 76. Fixed to the outer side edges of bracket arms 78 and 80 by its intermediate portion is a U- shaped member 82 the end portions of which extend horizontally and support between them the rod 64 on which the washer-receptacle is mounted for movement up and down toward and away from the color box.

As is clearly shown in FIG. 3 the washer-receptacle 38 has within it a spray header 94 to which washing fluid may be supplied through conduit 95, and is discharged from the washerreceptacle through drain 96.

There is thus provided a structure in which the above mentioned object is accomplished in a dependable manner.

What l claim is:

l. ln a cloth printing machine the combination of a print roll, a color box, means for mounting the color box in operative relation to the print roll for transferring color from the color box to the print roll, and a washer-receptacle disposed below and spaced from the said color box, support means for mounting the washer-receptacle, means for moving the said color box in one plane and means for raising and lowering the washer-receptacle in another plane toward and away from the color box while maintaining the washer-receptacle in upright position, hinge means one portion of which is connected to the washer-receptacle support means and the other portion of which is pivotally mounted on said one portion and is connected to the washer-receptacle and comprises a rod on which the washer-receptacle is slidable axially of the rod, the hinge portion carrying the rod being swingable to swing the washerreceptacle from a position parallel to the color box to a position in which it is angularly related to the color box. 

1. In a cloth printing machine the combination of a print roll, a color box, means for mounting the color box in operative relation to the print roll for transferring color from the color box to the print roll, and a washer-receptacle disposed below and sPaced from the said color box, support means for mounting the washer-receptacle, means for moving the said color box in one plane and means for raising and lowering the washer-receptacle in another plane toward and away from the color box while maintaining the washer-receptacle in upright position, hinge means one portion of which is connected to the washer-receptacle support means and the other portion of which is pivotally mounted on said one portion and is connected to the washer-receptacle and comprises a rod on which the washer-receptacle is slidable axially of the rod, the hinge portion carrying the rod being swingable to swing the washer-receptacle from a position parallel to the color box to a position in which it is angularly related to the color box. 